ngherwasreallyterribletohim.Hehadnotunderstood,hesaid,thatIwasbecomingattachedtoher,butwhenhesawwithhisowneyesthatitwasreallyso,andthatshemightbetakenawayfromhim,itgavehimsuchashockthatforatimehewasnotresponsibleforwhathesaidordid.Hewasverysorryforallthathadpassed,andherecognizedhowfoolishandhowselfishitwasthatheshouldimaginethathecouldholdabeautifulwomanlikehissistertohimselfforherwholelife.Ifshehadtoleavehimhehadratheritwastoaneighbourlikemyselfthantoanyoneelse.Butinanycaseitwasablowtohimanditwouldtakehimsometimebeforehecouldpreparehimselftomeetit.HewouldwithdrawalloppositionuponhispartifIwouldpromiseforthreemonthstoletthematterrestandtobecontentwithcultivatingthelady’sfriendshipduringthattimewithoutclaimingherlove.ThisIpromised,andsothematterrests.”
Sothereisoneofoursmallmysteriesclearedup.Itissomethingtohavetouchedbottomanywhereinthisboginwhichwearefloundering.WeknownowwhyStapletonlookedwithdisfavouruponhissister’ssuitor—evenwhenthatsuitorwassoeligibleaoneasSirHenry.AndnowIpassontoanotherthreadwhichIhaveextricatedoutofthetangledskein,themysteryofthesobsinthenight,ofthetear-stainedfaceofMrs.Barrymore,ofthesecretjourneyofthebutlertothewesternlatticewindow.Congratulateme,mydearHolmes,andtellmethatIhavenotdisappointedyouasanagent—thatyoudonotregrettheconfidencewhichyoushowedinmewhenyousentmedown.Allthesethingshavebyonenight’sworkbeenthoroughlycleared.
Ihavesaid“byonenight’swork,”but,intruth,itwasbytwonights’work,foronthefirstwedrewentirelyblank.IsatupwithSirHenryinhisroomsuntilnearlythreeo’clockinthemorning,butnosoundofanysortdidwehearexceptthechimingclockuponthestairs.Itwasamostmelancholyvigilandendedbyeachofusfallingasleepinourchairs.Fortunatelywewerenotdiscouraged,andwedeterminedtotryagain.Thenextnightweloweredthelampandsatsmokingcigaretteswithoutmakingtheleastsound.Itwasincrediblehowslowlythehourscrawledby,andyetwewerehelpedthroughitbythesamesortofpatientinterestwhichthehuntermustfeelashewatchesthetrapintowhichhehopesthegamemaywander.Onestruck,andtwo,andwehadalmostforthesecondtimegivenitupindespairwheninaninstantwebothsatboltuprightinourchairswithallourwearysenseskeenlyonthealertoncemore.Wehadheardthecreakofastepinthepassage.
Verystealthilywehearditpassalonguntilitdiedawayinthedistance.Thenthebaronetgentlyopenedhisdoorandwesetoutinpursuit.Alreadyourmanhadgoneroundthegalleryandthecorridorwasallindarkness.Softlywestolealonguntilwehadcomeintotheotherwing.Wewerejustintimetocatchaglimpseofthetall,black-beardedfigure,hisshouldersroundedashetiptoeddownthepassage.Thenhepassedthroughthesamedoorasbefore,andthelightofthecandleframeditinthedarknessandshotonesingleyellowbeamacrossthegloomofthecorridor.Weshuffledcautiouslytowardsit,tryingeveryplankbeforewedaredtoputourwholeweightuponit.Wehadtakentheprecautionofleavingourbootsbehindus,but,evenso,theoldboardssnappedandc